How to Grow Savoy Cabbages USA
On this page
Savoy cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda) — biennial grown as an annual.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Savoy Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda)
2 sources cited · Verified
At a Glance
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil texture | clay, loam or sand, high organic matter (NC State Extension) |
| Drainage | good drainage |
| Lifecycle | biennial grown as an annual |
| Edible parts | leaves, head |
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: moist, consistently (NC State Extension)
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing | 0 | Start seeds indoors; transplant in late summer for fall/winter harvest, or in early spring for a second crop (NC State Extension). |
| Transplanting | 3 | Space 12 inches to 3 feet apart depending on cultivar; full sun, moist well-drained soil high in organic matter (NC State Extension). |
| Head formation | 4 | Blistered, crinkled leaves develop into a looser, less densely packed head than smooth-leaved cabbage (NC State Extension). |
| Harvest | 8 | Ready when heads feel heavy for their size and colour is bright green (NC State Extension). |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: Ready when heads feel heavy for their size and the colour is bright green (NC State Extension).
Diseases
Pests
Savoy Cabbage, Transplant to Frosted Head
Plan your Savoy Cabbages planting
When to sow and plant Savoy Cabbages depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Savoy Cabbage in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
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CABBAGE: spacing affects head size -- for 2-3lb heads space 9-12in apart in rows 36-44in wide. Soil pH 5.8-6.5, base fertiliser 5-10-10 at 3lb per 100 sq ft, side-dressed with nitrogen. Water to keep moisture uniform, moistening soil to at least 6in; establishment and maturation are the critical periods. Ready 60-80 days after transplanting; harvest when the head is firm and has reached adequate size. Head cracking or splitting is caused by excessive water uptake and growth near maturity. Pests: imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth caterpillar, harlequin bug, maggots, aphids, flea beetles. Diseases: black rot, wire stem, damping-off, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, soft rot. CHINESE CABBAGE: best sown in late summer and autumn rather than spring, since spring plantings risk bolting after frost or prolonged cold nights; thin to 12in for Michihili types and 18in for Napa types; more susceptible than ordinary cabbage to Alternaria leaf spot, less prone to wire stem and downy mildew.
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Full sun (6+ hours direct). Soil: clay, loam or sand, high organic matter, neutral pH 6.0-8.0, good drainage with moist conditions maintained. Height 1-2ft, width 1-2ft, spacing 12in to 3ft apart depending on cultivar. Seeds can be started indoors and transplanted in late summer for fall/winter harvest; early spring planting yields a second crop. Ready to harvest when heads feel heavy for their size and colour is bright green. Grown as an annual (technically biennial). Medium growth rate and maintenance. More tender and subtly sweet than other cabbages, with crinkled leaf appearance and less densely packed heads. Pests: slugs, cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, caterpillars, cutworms, nematodes, cabbage aphids. Diseases: leaf spot, blackleg, black rot, yellows, root maggots.
These 2 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Clemson Cooperative Extension, NC State Extension) is in the references of our UK guide to savoy cabbages; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems affect savoy cabbages?
Our data links 2 diseases and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Last verified 2026-09-02
Related guides
More from the same group (brassicas & mustards):
Growing advice for your part of the USA
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.